Slashe50 wrote:It's going for $150, and it's in almost mint condition. So should I go for it?

Does the internal battery still function because that is the most common issue with these after so many years. If not it needs to be desoldered out and replaced to store your own patches unless you can find a ram4 or ram5 cartridge on Ebay or elsewhere. Here's the VSE write up which points out some of the differences between the DX11 and the DX7

The DX-11 was released in 1988, four years after the DX-7 hit the market. The DX-11's synthesis and sound quality is classic DX-style FM synthesis using 4-operators per voice. The DX-11 has one major advantage over the DX-7 and other older DX-synths, however. The DX-11 offered 8-part multitimbrality, whereas older DX synths were monotimbral. The DX-11 is essentially a keyboard version of Yamaha's first true multitimbral FM synthesizer, the TX81Z rack module.

The DX-11's multitimbral features allowed you to spread various sound patches across different areas or "zones" of the keyboard. It also allowed for complex ensemble performances using external sequencers or while playing live using "Performance" patches. Also added were some Quick Edit functions so you don't have to delve into the complexity of FM synthesis to make a few simple tweaks. These quick edits affect the tone, envelope attack and release times. Unfortunately there are no on-board arpeggiators or sequencers.

The DX-11 is only 8-voice polyphonic. A standard DX-7 has 16-voices and though it is monotimbral, superior polyphony makes the DX-7 an often more popular choice. Also, with just 8-voices, the DX-11's multitimbral performances can wind up sounding pretty thin. Other 8-voice DX-type synths include the DX-21, DX-100, and TX81Z. And unlike most previous DX synths which all used sine waves for synthesis, the DX-11 offers up to eight different waveforms to work with! And all the classic DX sounds can be found in the DX-11. Brass, piano, strings, bell sounds, percussion, effects, and much more. Other features include chord-stacking, digital delay, and panning effects, however there is no chorus effect as on earlier DX-synths. At its current low second-hand price, the DX-11 is an inexpensive way to get useable DX sounds! It has been used by Astral Projection and Autechre.

I've had a DX7 II-D, DX100, SY77 (still) and TX81z (still; The rack version of the DX11 more or less).

'better' is very subjective. It depends on other gear you have, and the way you work with sound. Undoubtedly the DX11 is more limited than the DX7 (6 vs 4 ops) but it doesn't tell the whole story. There are many who seek out the sound of the DX100/11/81Z precisely because it's 4-0p and gritty. The 11/81z having the extra waveforms is a BONUS over a DX7 and much like an Alpha Juno compared to it's 'on paper more heavyweight bigger brothers' sometimes the simpler stuff (with bonus features) just works out nice for your sound, if you have other stuff to fill in the gaps.

I really liked my DX7 (sold it as I got an SY77 which is an amazing FM synth), but in some ways the DX100 was much more instant, fun and even inspiring - even with it's child sized keys - the DX11 would be +++ over that with it's waveforms and full sized keys.

They are both interesting synths and FM in many cases (4op or 6op) can cover a lot of the famous DX sounds so you don't always lose out by having less operators. They are almost like 2 different synths in how they can sound, and yet they can sound almost identical too... how strange. It's really hard to call, but it comes down to what YOU really want to own. If you really are pulled in by the thought of more waveforms but would like 6ops then look at the SY77 which has even MORE waveforms + 6ops + a whole load of advanced stuff that no DX combo can touch... but as I said, sometimes the simpler stuff just has 'that sound' (the noise/grit/aliasing in the case of FM) and can be more usable and inspiring. Your choice.

I have a TX81z and a TX802 - the rack versions of the DX11 and DX7 repectively. I have tried to create the same sounds on both instruments and they cannot duplicate each other precisely - one machine does one sound better than the other. An example is the "Lately Bass" on the TX81z - the TX802 (DX7) doesn't make this sound nearly as well. And the strings on the TX802 (DX7) are better than what can be made on the TX81z (DX11). I like them both for different sounds. Get them both